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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. board — a committee
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. squash — the sport
  6. squash — to crush
  7. race — the arms race
  8. ground — a position
  9. lie — to recline
  10. track — to keep track
  11. ground — crushed
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. race — humankind
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. pass — a permit
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. cell — a phone
  19. track — a path
  20. ground — the earth
  21. cell — in biology
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. track — a song
  24. board — to get on

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com